, was an alien sound in the opulent, tension-fi
t a strangled cry and lunged for Elara, her perfect
le screaming in protest, but she didn't falter. She kept her
Parkway, Car
loud of fury. He finally und
m in two long strides. He ripped the phone from her hand, his f
ended was more terrif
ou have any idea what you've just done?" h
hing. "I know exactly what I'm d
burn down the Carlisle name for your pathetic, little-girl sense of honor? Th
The truth didn't matter to him. Only appearances. Onl
her voice cold and sharp. "And if you have nothi
began to panic. She tugged on Julian's sleeve, her voice a frightened whine. "Julian, I... I d
o distance herself from
elf to regain control. He was a businessman. He so
shifting. The raw anger was gone, re
to happen. You are going to admit that you were playing a foolish prank. That you
way to save them all from embar
ugh for you to get a nice apartment anywhere in the city, to live comfortably. You t
The final, u
ity. He truly believed her integrity, her very sense of self, was a commod
nger or even sadness. She felt a
r head, a small, sa
Julian," she sai
m her, the woman he thought he controlled
you say?"
lmly took her shattered phone back from h
he cracked screen, hov
e said, her voice deceptively gentle, "I'll d
he realized what she was about to
was t
ready pres
of a bridge being burned. A declaration of war. She was showing them that when you pu
/1/122822/coverbig.jpg?v=247e97ccc4742294c797b99f2b55b91c&imageMogr2/format/webp)